The assassination of Abraham Lincoln

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The Assassination

of
Abraham Lincoln

Locomotives and Train Crews

Excerpts from newspapers and other

sources

From the files of the
Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection

•n\ zmq o*s:o?n?s~~

Cincinnati, Hamilton k Dayton

DAYTON & MICHIGAN RAILROADS.

TO ALL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES.

The Funeral Ceremonies of the late President of the United
States, will take place in the City of Washington, on Wednesday,
the 19th inst., at 12 o'clock, noon. *$

As there will be services held throughout the [Country in the
different churches on the day and at the time above mentioned,
I invite the attendance to said service, at such church as they
may select, of all the employees of these Roads; whose duties
will permit. The Company hereby allows the proper time for
such attendance.

This circular is not to be understood so as to interfere with
the running of the several trains.

GEN'L SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE, > \ D. McLA^EN,

Cincinnati, 0., April 18th, 1865. S j »en'l Supt.

J

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2012 with funding from

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f> s] e 4

that a humble
1 fwent singing

An exchange says
boy with aiahiuiugpa
gaily down the vale, t^jwhero a pow
with a brintllu rail, dii jthe alfaJJaMiJl
regale.- A bumblebee icIM gailj' sail,
over the soft and. shady!;v;ak\ to where
the boy with a sbiiningjijail, wasjmilk-
iug the row with a bri,i
beo lit dowri on the c6w
feet lleW up thriughiiUL
and thfough jthe leave?) j o!f fc
tree, the loy! soared into

PEAT

HO»F

EDWARD WILCOX.

tile tail. ; .The
s left eni*,i her
a atmosphere,
Ha cotton wood
qtcrnltyt;

Hem

Michigan C

Cot-

Id: M'iss

home df Mr. land

nlnd Mi?
micjk, of jtl^bart, are

ty

Belfast

visit with W.r.
3on in this city
Fred Hausheer
3d the i 'Ames

Afler

lty, in ! plaJ7ing-i;on
Milwaukee, q
pity

ladies,
hautauqua

un

Mr

8.

liimer home on

it luncheon to^a^ r by

rison, at her
3ea.cn. ' I

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An exchange salys that
nake a town grow ' intoj
)tbcrs with ^ood locations
;agek, is because 'in one
uen of pusji anjd energy

xfraid td spend their
:o improve the town.

ijlostellcjr, of
Louisa Mc-
ijsiU;ig]at tho
|Nordytc,'at

Mrs. IB dill

a| few I dplys tlhey will

arid tW.ffilj Wrbl Iftcker-

E<J Shcafer and

of jthe city band, assist-

Uuion ' bii: d, Michigan

an oxcnrsion to

da^ 4 i.|.| r :hekichigau

whoj are istobping at the

grounds, wcr3 entertained

Frank M6r-
Waverly

the Way to

i city |. while

remain vil-

$ase thete are

who are not

tirxlje and money

hDh

erect sub-

stantial buildings; organasjb stock com-

Another \Vcl\ Knoivu ( Itlzcu Called

to rljliat I5on:e Beyond*

| j

Mr. Edwliid Wilcox, one of Aiich-

isra'n Citvt'ai oldest anil best known

citizens, died at his home, No. 118

■ ■ I j .

wefct Eighth street,! last night at 11:15

o'clock, Oi spinal trouble. Mr. Wilcox

is the lasjt of a family of eleven chil-

drcnand was born in Stockbridge,

Miiss , in 1832, -Ho came to kichigan

City in 18>GJ, being i an engineer on tho

Michigan Central railroad from that

to| his recent, illness. !Mr.

e up

Abtianam
Chicfigo

Wilcox wfa$| the engineer of the train

*■. rTr*-

t hat eonvtykl the remains of Presirtcn t

Lincol n , fro m this ,jcity_tp^

He was married in: this city

inillSi, t!o Mi'ss Harriet! A. De draff,
who Eiirvi'ves him. !• .'•; ! ■•! .' >'

Tue depeased leaves jthree children,
Mrs '.George Culborr, i Mrs. Wj C.
Fargher and Geo.iwl U ilcox, all of
thisljity. I ' i !

Tneriuper'al services will be held

< 1 ! f ' . j r

Friday afternoon at 3 ; ;d"clock frpm the

family residence, Key.! VV. F. Switzer
officiating!, ■■■ -i ,

-+— •-

JDcatU of MifsJ George JLcscr. ;
. i Theresa, Leser, wife of George Loser,
died at Her late home, 1220 Elston
streetij at 1 6:45 o!clock .this morning,
l^eathi was causdd from cancer with
Whicnshej had been afllicted for the
past two years.

ATHLET|C EN7

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The Columbian A J
Nclentltlc.OoA)

The Colunibian

i

give a.spientJilic b

entertainment] in th«

on Wedresdajy, Au

the first of a seric

which the clbb wi

win^r, Tho best

west Will appear in i

Persons who/will »

tainmeht are: J)an J

kid Frank Q^oal, I
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boxer of Illinois;^! !

pion 14
Charles

pound boxc
G loasbn, tile

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^ion' welter weight I
lianir Fitsigerald, chn
boxer, cf Chicago
scientific nonpareil c>
Buijchard, champion
lotic! corcediao oithi
oreiz, champ on cBu
aroqna ah let 3; Geor
pion,' sword, bayo;
swinger of Indiana.

The boys are spn
make tho affair a s
cro(wd is ilreaidy^assu

A Haskot

Through the conn
Griffith, a large par
beeh[ enjoying a deli
HermitagetCjdav.^LJ-

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THE LINCOLN TRAIN.

A Story From the Conductor of
the Train that -Carried Presi-
dent Lincoln's Body From
Baltimore to Harrisburg.

Washington has been, and is, the
home of many men and women who
have had a part in the historical
events of moment in this country.
Many times we have heard the story
from those who were in various ca-
pacities associated with President Lin-
coln, but I cannot recall that 1 ever
saw or heard a detailed account from
any one connected with the funeral
train that carried President Lincoln's
body to its final resting place in
Illinois.

Living here in Washington is the
man who was conductor on the train
that carried President Lincoln's body
from Baltimore, Md., to Harrisburg,
Pa. He . was christened "William
Henry Harrison Gould," and he say3
his conduct, has been such that he
has never found occasion to change
his name. Several years ago he re-
tired from active service on the rail-
road, but he is still active, optimistic,
and will not admit that he s over 32
years old, which is really not half his
age.

He is one of those ante-belleum fel-
lows, who saw service on the rail-
road when engines were given stately
names instead of lowly numbers,
burned wood, instead of coal, and
when fuel was needed would stop at
the first wood pile sighted and replen-
ish.

His forefathers came from Toppes-
feld, England, with John Cabot in
1638, and landed at Salem, Mass.,
finally settling 10 miles west of Sa-
lem in' Essex County, at a place named
by the Indians, "She-we-ne-mede,"
meaning new meadows. The Goulds
did not fancy the Indian name and re-
named it "Topsheld," and the town
continues to this day.

William Henry Harrison Gould was
born on the old Gould homestead at
Topsfield, and spent the early years
of his life, there. When neariiig his
majority the roving bug hit him and
he started out to see the world and
make his fortune.

Railroading seemed the most fasci-
nating and exciting to him. and early
in 18G2 he obtained a positon as a
brakeman with the Northern Central
Railway, which is now a. part of the
great Pennsylvania Railroad System.
Promotion was rapid in those days,
and in four months time young Gould
was promoted to brakeman oh a pas-
senger train. One year later he was
promoted to baggage master on tiie
road, and in another year was pro-
moted to conductor of a passenger
train running from Baltimore, Md.,
to Harrisburg, Pa., with his headquar-

ters at Baltimore.

"On the evening of April 14, 1865,
the date President Lincoln was shot,"
said Conductor Gould, "I had finished
my round trip and was tired and \\ ent
to bed early. The morning of the
15th of April I walked over to the
Calvert Street Railway Station, Balti-
more, arriving there about 7. a. m.
When I reached the rear entrance to
the station I noticed that all traffic
on the railroad was ae a standstill. I
asked the gateman, Simon Goldstein,
why no trains were running. He said:

" 'Mine Gott, don' you hear de
news?'

" 'No,' I said. 'What is the news?'

" 'Lincoln was kilt last night,' said
Goldstein, 'and Stanton is kilt, and
everybody Is kilt, and you done it, git
out of here.'

"I did get out and began to observe
what was going on. The station was
crowded with soldiers; they had taken
charge of it. People were allowed to
go into the station but no one was al-
lowed to leave. About noon an order
was received from Washington to re-
lease the people, who numbered sev-
eral hundred. In the afternoon trains
began to run again.

"After Goldsteih had accused me of
being guilty of the death of Lincoln
and others I began to study about the
matter and thought I had better go
home. To learn of the murder of
President Lincoln very much de-
pressed me, and to be accused of it
; made me feel much worse. I went
, home and lay down on the bed. I told
j my wife if any one called for me to
j tell them I was out. After I had
I rested for about half an hour I be-
! gan to feel better and went out on
the street. Noticing many buildings
and flags draped in black, I went
home and hung out my flag, draped
in black. By this time I felt normal
and had a mind to go and see Gold-
stein and tell him what I thought, but
reconsidered.

"Conductors in those days took
their regular turn, and it just so
happened that on the morning of
April 21, 1865, I was next out About
12:30 p. m. I was notified by the sta-
tion master that I was to act as con-
ductor on the special train that was
to carry President Lincoln's body
from Baltimore to Harrisburg. At
the time I gave no special importance
to this run. but since then I have
been exceedingly gratified that 1 had
it. The car in which President Lin-
coln's body was carried was built by
a Mr. Lamson at Alexandria, Ya. It
was built on the lines of our present-
day parlor cars, but much less elab- .
orate. The outside of the car was '
painted dark brown, and [he inside
was varnished, showing the grain of
the wood. There were no fixed seats
in the car, but there were several easy
chairs.

"The train was made up of an en-
gine that burned coal, one baggage
car, seven first-class passenger cars,
and in the rear was the funeral car.
The train was equipped with hand
brakes. In the baggage car we car-
ried the remains of William Wallace i
Lincoln, the 12-year-old sun of the J
President, who died in February, I
1S62, and had been buried in a cem-
eterv at Georgetown.

"In the train crew was the engineer,
two firemen, one baggage man, two
brakemen. one conductor and myself.
So far as I know, I am the only living
member of that crew, and 50 years
time has erased all their names from
my memory. Capt. George W. Ham-
bright had general supervision of the
pilot train and funeral train. The en-
gine and cars of the train were
decked m the habiliments of mourn-
ing.

"The coffin in which President Lin-
coln's body lay resteu on three tres-
tles securely fastened to the floor of
the car. Over these was crepe. Straps
were fastened to the trestles and
buckled around the coffin to hold it
secure. The. coffin was very large and
appeared to be about seven feet long
and fully three feet wide. It was cov-
ered with black cloth, and, besides the
four silver handles <>n either side,
there was considerable silver decora-
' U«ns m ioi in of wreaths. On the lid
of the coffin was an engraved silver
plate, which read:

ABRAHAM LINCOLN,

16th President of the United States.

Born Feb. 12, 1809.

Died April 15, 1865.

"I was in the funeral car at various
times in my line of duty. A part of
the time the face lid was removed
from the coffin, and I had several op-
portunities of seeing the face of the
martyred President. His face was
calm and peaceful. He looked as if
he were asleep in pleasant dreams.
The body was dressed in black, with
white shut and black tie. I was in-
formed that the suit he had on was
the suit he wore at his first inaugu-
ration.

"None of the train crew were in
uniform — in fact, in those days no
uniform was worn by passenger train
crews. I wore a black suit of clothes
and black hat. On the front of my
hat I wore a plate marked 'Conduc-
tor.'

"There were about 75 people on ]
the train beside the train crew. There
were no women on the train. During
the trip the men moved back and
forth thru the train. They were a
distinguished looking group of men,
but sad and solemn. Practically all
of their talk was of the greatness and
goodness of Lincoln, and his untimely
death. There were many men on the
train who were soldiers, but none
were in uniform.

"Each member of the train crew,
and all of those who were entitled to
ride on the train, wore a special badge.
This badge was their ticket of trans-
portation. Of course, I was very care-
ful to see that every person riding on
the train was entitled to do so.

"Ten minutes before the special
train pulled out of Baltimore a pilot
engine and one passenger car. in
charge of Capt. George B. Kaufman
and brakeman, with a crew started
ahead of the special train for Harris-
burg. Just at 3 o'clock on the after-
noon of April 21. 1S65, I gave the-en-
gineer the signal to start for Harris-
burg. The engine gave a shrill whis-
tle and rhe train slowly passed the
depot. There was an immense crowd
around the station at Baltimore to see
the train leave, but. they were very
quiet.

"As we left Baltimore the weather
was cloudy and warm. Our first stop
out of Baltimore was Parkton, Md.,
for water. The next stop was at York,
Pa., again for Water. These two stops
were the only stops made between
Baltimore and Harrisburg.

"■yVhen the train stopped at York a
delegation of six ladies were allowed
to enter the funeral oar and lay a
large wreath on the coffin. At every
cross road there were crowds of peo-
ple, and as the funeral train passed!
them the men took off their hats, and ■
I noticed many, both men and worn- j
en, who shed tears as the train |
passed. It was the most solemn trip
I ever took on a train. Everybody on
the train was solemn and everybody
the train passed was solemn.

"Just at 8 o'clock the train pulled
into Harrisburg. The sky was cloudy,
and there was a fine dizzle of rain. It
seemed to me that nature was weep-
ing because of Lincoln's death.

"After pulling into the station I re-
mained in charge of the train until
the President's body was taken from
the funeral car to be taken to the
State Capitol in Harrisburg; then I
was relieved by the yard crew."

Mr. Gould has always been an opti-
mist. His mind is stored with pleas-
ant memories of the past. He holds
ill T"il| toward r.cne. His is a life well
spent, and at the end there will be no
remorse. "May he live long and
prosper."

Elias Tov 90 „
citrlTlV * ° f ^ r tr,t\ h S ^ to he

Ph

hf s hom

, ew Tork
e in Philad'eiph

died A,," Phi,a de]
a Augrust 22

at

PORTER, WILLIAM — RECALLS LINCOLN 1 S FUNERAL — MEMBER OF TRAIN CREWJ

\ oa- ' '.

^counts Trip
Of Lincoln's
Funeral Train

Probably the last living member of
the train crew that brought the body
of Abraham Lincoln from Chicago to
Spring-field, following the assassination
of the martyred president, resides at
Jerseyville. This man is William i^o, •
ler, who in 1S61 enlisted in the 145th
Illinois •infantry. He was mustered out
of the service in the fall of the .same
year and went to work for the Chicago
Sc Alton as a brakeman. The day be-
fore the funeral train was due to arrive
a dozen brakemcn were summoned be-
fore the assistant superintendent and
told to get ready to go to Chicago and
bring the funeral train through. In
speaking of the trip recently Jlr. Por- ,
ter said:

"J. C. McAIullen, assistant superln-
I endent of the Chicago division, had
charge of the train, but George Hewett,
an old passenger man, was given the
assignment as conductor. As I remem-
ber it, the funeral train consisted of
;\ baggage car, several ordinary coaches
and the cala.fa.lquo dii- -which was the
second car from the rear end of the
train. The funeral car was specially
arranged for carrying the body of the I
president. A crack New York regiment '
escorted the body and performed guard '
duty during the entire trip from Wash-
ington to Springfield. Four guards were
posted in each car, two at each end and
no one was allowed to enter the train
without a permit.

"The head officials of the Chicago &
Alton took special pains to guard
against an accident. All bridges were
guarded and switch rails at obscure sid-
ings were securely spiked down. All
regular trains were ordered to take the •
siding an hour before the special was J
scheduled to pass.

Lincoln Picture on Engine.
"The two locomotives selected for the
trip were No. 40 and No. 57. They
were wood burners, with old-fashioned
iialloon smoke stacks. Russian iron
jackets, brass dome, brass sand box,
brass bell frame, six inch brass bands
encircling the boiler about four feet
apart, and all brass parts nicely polish-
ed. Henry Russell was the man at the
ihrottlc of No. 40 and James (Jim) Cot-
ton was the man at the throttle of No. '
, c >7, which served as pilot engine. Direct- I
ly under the headlight was the picture ,
of the martyred president, don" in cray-
on, and in a circular frame or wreath
of flowers about five feet in diameter.
"On the evening of May 2, the train
was backed into the union station at
Chicago to take the body of the dead
president. The funeral cortege left the
i-ourt house in Chicago at 6 o'clock.
The hearse was drawn by six black stal-
lions, each attended by a negro groom
in uniform. The train left Chicago at
7:30 o'clock and only stopped at the
larger stations. At all stops the people
congregated, grim visa^-ed men and wo-
men, with tear bedimmed eyes. The
throngs were silent. The train arrived
in Springfield the next morning. A vast
crowd had gathered. When the pilot
engine arrived at the outskirts of the
,."iry, it stopped and waited for the fun-
i erai train. It was then coupled to the
regular train and entrance was made to
Springfield. It took over two hours to
go that many miles. It was indeed a
funeral of the people."

•T

J U ■•*...

,/ n .. •

e -A ■,; P® ters °n. u '' Chicago, lormern
of Dekalb, sends a picture of Frank
H. Pond, who was fireman on the
train that carried Lincoln from
Cleveland to Erie in 1861. As the
same crew was chosen to brin- Fin-
coin s body back, and as the engineer
bad m the mean time died, h e , V a<
engineer of the train that brought
Lincoln's body from Erie to Cleve-
land, 1865. A picture of the engine,

-i ne Reindeer,' 1 was also enclosed.

V

c

/ More About Lincoln's Funeral Train

To the Editor: " Brooklin ' : . Mass.

Several weeks ago there appeared a photograph of the Lin-
coln funeral tram on the Illinois Central at Chicago, and tins
with the accompanying paragraph, leads me to reply

Relative to the locomotive Nashville; in Bulletin No 16
issued by this society, is an article covering briefly the histo y
ot the present Bag hour System. An illustration appears of
he locomot.ve Nashvdle draped and ornamented for ?he pur-
pose of hauling the tram from Cleveland westward Tins
locomotive was owned by the Cleveland, Columbus & Cine

>n i"S T, bU,lt f ^ thC Cuyah ° ga VVorks > ClevdSS,
in June, 1852, and so far as the records show ua<

Z ™ -7.°, r . r , Un . " any other road th an the C. C.'& C. or ib.

■n.june, 18,2, and so far as the records show ' w ., ,
°«-ned by or run on any other road than the C. C '& C ( lu
roads ot winch it became a part. It is absolutely safe to a
that this locomotive never saw the N. C. & St L or any of
its predecessors. Locomotive nomenclature in those cays wa
not confined to the locality of the road. Just how far the

Nashv.lle' hauled the train, I do not know Jt s no at al
unhkely that at Gabon, Ohio, a locomotive f ron the B die

ontame Ratlway Company carried it to Indianapolis or at
Last over one ot the divisions. 1 doubt verv much L
peopL state, that the "Nashville" ran ^S ^VlnSZ

w-fh ti:iv rew h that hai ^^t£°ssE
::td ttttr obtamabk '' would make ; «

Presid^u, Rail wa y arld Locomotive ^lLfs!SX.

KSW YOKK CITY RAILWAY AGS

WLX 26, 1950

Engineer Recalls Sombre Trip
Of the Funeral Train of Lincoln

Wrightson Is Believed to

Be Last Surviving

Pilot

REDLANDS, Cal., Feb. 12 (A. P.)—
Shrouded in black bunting and draped
with American flags, a sable train rolled
slowly over the New York Central
tracks from New York to Utica between
lines of silent, grieving people.

One of the cars carried the body of a
slain President, Abraham Lincoln.

In the engine cab ol the funeral
train, slowly tolling tm bell as the

miles passed, sat George W. Wrightson,
who now believes he is last of six en-
gineers, picked for ability, who piloted
the train from Washington to Spring-
field.

At each switch, Wrightson peered
acutlously from his cab. Each switch
had been spiked, to prevent tampering
until the train had passed. The cortege
was given right of way over all other
traffic.

"When we reached the depot at Syra-
cuse, the train was greeted by the most
impressive demonstration I have ever
seen," Wrightson recalls.

"The trainshed was covered with the
national colors and black festoons. An
immense, silent throng waited hours
to glimpse the cortege."

There were five cars in the train,

carrying members of the Lincoln fam-
ily, Government officials, the casket
and newspaper men. They were the
first Pullmans to run on a New York
Central track.

The front of the engine bore a por-
trait of the martyred President. At
sight of the picture and the draped
locomotive, throngs along the track
drew back. Some waved 6mall flags.
Others wept openly. When the train
had passed they stepped to the track
and watched it fade into the distance.

Wrightson, eighty-eight, la nearly

blind and retired from railroading after

I fifty-three years' service. >\Y ujvdii i -,M'

PILOT RECALLS SOMBER RUN

OF LINCOLN'S FUNERAL TRAIN

George W. Wrightson (right) believes he is the last of engineers who
piloted Lincoln's funeral train over the route shown in map. Lincoln is
shown as he appeared when president.

REDLANDS, Cal. — (A.P.) —
Shrouded in black bunting and
draped 'with American flags, a sable
train rolled slowly over the New
York Central tracks from New York
to Utica between lines of silent,
grieving people.

One of the cars carried the. body
of a slain President, Abraham Lin-
coln.

In the engine cab of the funeral
train, slowly tolling the bell as the
miles passed, sat George W. Wright-
son, who now believes he is last of
six engineers, picked for ability, who
piloted the train from Washington
to Springfield.

At each switch, Wrightson peered
cautiously from his cab. Each
switch had been spiked, to prevent I
tampering until the train had
passed. The cortege was given
right-of-way over all other traffic.

"When we reached the depot at
Syracuse, the train was greeted by

the most impressive demonstration
I have ever seen," Wrightson re-
calls.

"The train shed was covered with
the National colors and black fes-
toons. An immense, silent, throng
had waited hours to glimpse the
cortege."

There were five cars in the train,
carrying members of the Lincoln
family, Government officials, the
casket and newspapermen. They
were the first Pullmans to run on a
New York Central track.

Tlie front of the engine bore a
portrait of the martyred President.
At sight of the picture and the
draped locomotive, throngs along
the track drew back. Some waved
small flags. Others wept openly.
When the train had passed they
stepped to the track and watched
it fade into the distance.

Wrightson, SS, is nearly blind
and retired from railroading after
53 years service.

ENGINEER RECALLS LINCOLN RITES |

On 96th Birthday, Railroader

Tells Piloting Train

of Mourners

As he celebrated his 96th birthday
today, George E. Buck, veteran rail-
road man of Santa Monica, told how
he was the one-man crew of a
special train bearing mourners
from Decatur, 111, to the funeral
of Abraham Lincoln, martyred
president of the United States, at
Springfield, 111, just after the close
of the Civil war.

"I was running a work train back
in the 60's for the Toledo. Wabash
and Western railroad," he said. 'The
order came through to make up a
three-car special train for the
mourners. It seemed like everybody
wanted to go. I took the tickets,
fired the engine and then drove
the train to Springfield.

"Buck" ran away from home to
work on a railroad when he was
12 years old. He retired 58 years
later. He claims to be the oldest
living Master Mason in the United
States. He was made a master mas-
on in Summit City lodge, Fort
Wayne, Ind, on May 6, 1859, but
now is a member, of Sunrise lodge
in ho» Angele*, »

George E

appears

J today celebrating hi» 96th birth-

daj ■ _. - —

HE DRAPED LINCOLN'S FUNERAL ENGINE

Martin Fetter

THE drap-
ing of a
locomotive
which hauled
President Lin-
coln's funeral
train, says
Martin Fetter,
stands out in
bold relief in
his memories of
51 years of
railroading.
Fetter, now 82,
told of the in-
cident at his
home, 1712
East Ninth
Street, Cleve-
land, Ohio.

" I was a lad then, not more than fifteen," he
began. " When I reported for work on April
17, 1865, I was surprised to find Engine No. 40,
the ' Dispatch,' standing on a siding with a large
crowd around her. I was gaping at the crowd
when the boss came over and said : ' That engine's
going to pull President Lincoln's funeral train out
of Cleveland and Fd like you to help trim her.'
" Grabbing some waste, I started by shining
up the brass around the cab. For a time I worked
alone. Then the engineer, Bill Simmons, and
the fireman, Joe Denslow, came over with the
boss's daughter, Lavina Hamm. They had white
and black bunting and a large portrait of Lincoln
in a gilt frame. I assisted Bill in putting up
the picture right out in front of the engine, then
we fastened several yards of bunting around it.
Joe and Lavina draped the sides. Before they
got through, I climbed on top and muffled the bell.

" All in all, it was a pretty job. Between the
folds of hunting you could see the blue enameled
sides, and there was a gold stripe showing above.
After that I hurried up to the square where Abe
Lincoln had been lying in state. I wanted lo
get a last look at him. But I was too late. They'd
taken him away."

By a strange coincidence, Fetter also helped to
drape the engine of President Garfield's funeral
train in VVellsville, Ohio, sixteen years later. In
1015 he retired from the Pennsylvania Railroad
after 51 years of continuous service. Starting
work in a roundhouse in the fall of 1864, he be-
became a fireman in July, 1865, and an engine-
man in March, 187 1. All of his runs were over
the Cleveland & Pittsburgh division.

Probably the only " rail " now living who knew
and conversed with Abraham Lincoln is C. N.
Coursey, of Mt. Carmel, 111., a retired Big Four
engineer.

Ben E. Chapin, editor of The Railroad Em-
ployee, who interviewed Brother Coursey a short
time ago, reports that he is still " rugged and
well preserved, despite the toll exacted by the
passing years."

Coursey began his railroad career as a passen-
ger brakeman on the B. & O, July 10, 1862,
before he became fifteen years old. He recalls
the fact that it was President Lincoln's custom
to shake hands with the engine and train crew.
On one occasion the conductor asked Mr. Lin-
coln :

" Why do you bother shaking hands with the
engineer and fireman, whose hands are always
covered with soot and grease?"

The President's reply was:

" That will all wash off, but I always want to
see and know the men I am riding behind."

That's the kind of fellow Lincoln was.

DRAPED ENGINE
OF DEATH TRAIN

Martin Fetter, 82, Helped to Dec-
orate Locomotive Which Drew
Lincoln's Funeral Oar.

The draping of a locomotive which
hauled President Lincoln's funeral
train, says Martin Fetter, stands out
in bold relief in his memories of 51
years of railroading. Fetter, now 82,
told of the incident at his home, 1712
East Ninth St., Cleveland, Ohio.

"I was a lad then, not more than 15,"
he began. "When I reported for work
on April 17, 1865, I was surprised to
flnd Engine No. 40, the 'Dispatch,"
standing on a siding with a large
crowd around her. I was gaping at the
crowd when the boss came over and
1 said : 'That engine's going to pull
1 President Lincoln's funeral train out
of Cleveland and I'd like you to help
trim her.'

"Grabbing some waste, I started by
shining up the brass around the cab.
For a time I worked alone. Then the
engineer, Bill Simmons, and the fire-
man, Joe^Denslow, came over with the
boss's daughter, Lavina Hamm. They
had white and black bunting and a
large portrait of Lincoln in a gilt
frame. I assisted Bill in putting up
the picture right out in front of the
engine, then we fastened several yards
of bunting around it. Joe and Lavina
draped the sides. Before they got thru.
I climbed on top and muffled the bell.

"All in all, it was a good job. Be-
tween the folds of bunting you could
see the blue enameled sides, and there
was a gold stripe showing above. After
that I hurried up to the square where
Abe Lincoln had been lying in state. I
wanted to get a last look at him. But
I was too late. They'd taken him
away."

By a strange comcidence, Fetter also
helped to drape the engine of Presi-
dent Garfield's funeral train in Wells-
ville, Ohio, 16 years later. In 1915 he
retired from the Pennsylvania Rail-
road after 51 years of continuous serv-
ice. Starting work in a roundhouse in
the Fall of 1864, he became a fireman
in July, 1865, and an engineman in
March, 1871. All of his runs were over
the Cleveland & Pittsburgh division.

Probably the only railroad worker
now living who knew and conversed
with Abraham Lincoln is C. N. Cour-
sey, of Mt. Carmel, 111., a retired Big
Four engineer.

Coursey began his railroad career as
a passenger brakeman on the B. & O.,
July 10, 1862, before he became 15
years old. He recalls the fact that it I
was President Lincoln's custom to'
shake ha.nds with the engine and train |
crew. On one occasion the conductor '
asked Mr. Lincoln: i

"Why do you bother shaking hands !
with the engineer and fireman, whose
hands are always covered with soot
and grease?"

The President's reply was:

"That will all wash off, but I always
want to see and know the men I am
riding behind."

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CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1936

Running the Locomotive of Lincoln's Train

A HIS

BY S. J. KELLY.

Engineer Ernest A. Mebus looked
down from his cab window of the
"Sam Hill," the historic engine that
drew Lincoln into Cleveland on his
visit in 1861. Mebus said :

"You say you can run her? Get
up here and let's see you do it."

So I climbed into the cab.

But let me describe the Sam Hill
as I stood beside her in the yard
of the "Parade of the Years." She is
a glittering locomotive: flaring wood-
burning stack, with a little fancy
crown around the top, brass covered
cylinders; brass-capped steam and
sand domes; shining high whistle;
real pointed cow-catcher and pol-
ished wood cab. She rolls through
the gate at the left of the parade
drawing the historic train. She is
the eight-wheeled type, four drivers,
four-wheeled "pony truck," connect-
ing rods and burnished pin caps,
that handsome old type of passen-
ger engine of our boyhood days. She
was built in 1S60.

"Wait till I get you a coat and
cap."

Orders.

Engineer Mebus swung down the
steps leaving me alone. I took oc-
casion to look things over. There
was no need for extra clothes.
Everything in the cab was clean as
a parlor car. The boiler was sheathed
with smooth steel. Around the
edges ran brass mouldings. A shin-
ing brass water gauge and three
brass water gauge-cocks sianted
across the boiler. Straight ahead of
the engineer's seat was the whistle
lever. Above the bell cord ran
through pulleys above the fireman's
seat and through an eye-hole at the
front of the cab. Two great rods
riveted to the boiler reached to the
frame below the floor.

Then the reverse lever, that big
upright lever at the side ! A heavy
sector to guide it, with notches,
arches up from the floor before the
engineer's seat. You grasp the lever
at the top, a spring clasp pulls the
ratchet out, and you throw it for-
ward if you're "going ahead" or
backward if you're going to "back
up."

Engineer Mebus climbed up again.
Jacket and coat were soon on. He
said: "Now, you say you can run

rORIC MEMORY OF OLD CLEVEI

this engine. What's the next thing
to do?"

I looked at the steam gauge. It
registered twenty pounds. A brass
plate on the boiler said it took 1-5
pounds to run the engine. We had
a half hour before the act.

"Well, I think we had better get
steam up," I answered.

Firing Up.

He laughed, opened the fire door,
stirred up the fire, threw in wood,
and I noticed he threw in a pretty
good lump of coal. He opened the
dampers by pulling notched levers
that came up through the floor,
turned the valve of the forced draft,
a steam pipe that leads to the smoke
stack, and soon the tire roared.

"Next we will oil the steam
valves."

He took one of the burnished oil
cans from its shelf on the boiler and
we swung down and went forward.
He unscrewed the fancy old grease
cups from the steam chests and
poured in the oil. 1 glanced along
that fine old engine with her brass
hand rails, and driving wheel
guards, and looked up from her neat-
ly striped cow-catcher to her impos-
ing headlight before the stack. There
you can faintly see the name "Presi-
dent."

Henry Ford was bound to find the
engine that brought Lincoln to this
city on that memorable day. Way
down on the Sattilo River in Georgia
they found her puffing around a lum-
ber yard. The lumber yard had
named her the Sattilo. Then in 192U
Engineer Mebus had proudly driven

.AND.

her into Detroit. He has been work-
ing for Henry Ford ever since.

The President was a wreck. They
rebuilt her, polished her up, rebuilt
her cab, placed walnut base boards
around her tender, let the name of
her last owner remain on the tender,
the Atlantic & Gulf R. R.

We were up in the cab again. The
steam was up to 125 pounds. I took
the engineer's seat and "threw her
over," way down to the last notch.
I got the signal and gently pulled
the throttle. Slowly and sedately
we lolled out on the stage of the
"Parade of the Years" drawing Lin-
coln's train.

Everything is vividly true to life
in that great show. Lincoln descends
from his car with his shawl over
his shoulders as he did that drizzly
morning of Feb. 15. He stoops
slightly, but with his tall plug hat
he towers over the reception com-
mittee. His face is serious and
thoughtful. The Cleveland Grays
are there. Mrs. Lincoln enters the
carriage, the president follows and
they start on that long slow drive
down Euclid Avenue from E. 55th
Street.

Then I threw that big lever over
again, backward, though I had to
brace against the rods of the boiler,
pulled her throttle and with bell
ringing we slowly rolled back again,
pushing Lincoln's funeral car be-
fore us.

We ran down to the gate and 1
brought her to a stop. The Sam
Hill and the draped car ahead rocked
slightly when taking the switches.

REAL ESTATE ■ MORTGAGE LOANS ■ FIRE INSURANCE

Sffis 915 FIFTH AVE. PHONE 2836l

HUNTINGTON, W.VA.

April 4, 1944

Mr« Louis A. Warren, Director
Lincoln National Life Foundation
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Dear Mr. Warren;

I have a letter from my
cousin, Mr. George H. Pancake, and he tells me that
he has had some correspondence with you regarding
sending you some pictures of a train on which Abraham
Lincoln once road He is under the impression that
you have him mixed up with me as you mentioned having
met him at one time*

He sent me two pictures
to mail on to you, which I am enclosing, herewith.

With kindest personal,
hoping that you will stop in to see us every time
that you are in our city. ^ -_

fours very tVul

3 aul
president

PCP:el

cc/Mr. George H. Pancake

April 7, 19H

Mr. Paul C. Pancake, President
Pancake Ilealty Company
915 Fifth Ate.
Huntington, V. Va.

My dear Mr. Pancake:

Thank 70a very much for forwarding the pictures of
the old engine which pulled the Lincoln funeral train and we
are pleased Indeed to have them.

Begret having confused you with your cousin and poseihly
on my next visit to Huntington I will have an opportunity to
aeethoth of yon.

Very truly yours,
LAWjVM Director

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Bulletin of the Lincoln National Life Foundation ----- Dr. Louis A. Warren, Editor
Published each week by The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Number 895

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

June 3, 1946

PILOTING THE LINCOLN FUNERAL TRAIN

Many boys of twenty-five years ago or more, who lived
in small towns, remember the Memorial Day parades
which gave them the opportunity to march in the pro-
cession with the tottering members of the G.A.R. As an
aftermath of Decoration Day, as it then was called, it
would seem timely this year, to compile some facts re-
lating to the first American memorial procession — the
funeral train of Abraham Lincoln which passed from the
Potomac River to the Prairies.

Possibly the most controversial subject relating to the
famous train is the identity of the engineers who piloted
it and the names of the engines used to draw the funeral
coaches from one metropolis to another. There are some
traditions extant holding that but one engine was used
for the entire trip. Charles E. Fisher in 1930, then the
President of the Railway and Locomotive Historical So-
ciety, made this suggestion, "A list of the roads, the loco-
motives, and the train crews that handled this historic
train, together with such photographs as are obtainable,
would make a valuable record for railroad history."

This monograph is an attempt to compile such data
as may help to some day achieve this end. Although
limited space will make it necessary to confine the infor-
mation to the names of the railroads operating the trains,
the names of the engineers and the numbers or names of
the locomotives including the pilot engine, under their
charge.

WASHINGTON TO BALTIMORE
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad over whose lines the
funeral train first moved has claimed that its famous
engine "Number 23" later called the "William Mason,"
headed the funeral train from Washington to Baltimore.
This engine is the same one which brought Lincoln into
Washington from Baltimore in 1861 and also was used
for part of the Gettysburg trip in 1863. A contemporary
news item states, however, that engine "Number 238"
drew the train and that it was a new locomotive made
at the Mount Clare works. Thomas Beckett was the engi-
neer. "Number 239," the pilot locomotive, was draped in
mourning and William Galloway was the engineer.

BALTIMORE TO HARRISBURG
The conductor on the funeral train traveling over the
Northern Central Railroad from Baltimore to Harrisburg
was William Henry Harrison Gould, but in his remi-
niscences preserved in 1915 he could not recall the name
of the engineer of his train or the engineer of the pilot
engine.

HARRISBURG TO PHILADELPHIA
The Pennsylvania Railroad took charge of the train
at Harrisburg using engine "Number 331" with engineer
John E. Miller as pilot.

PHILADELPHIA TO JERSEY CITY AND NEW YORK
The Camden and Amboy Railroad was utilized to move
the funeral train from Philadelphia to Jersey City. Upon
arriving there, the funeral car was taken on the ferry
boat "New York" to New York City.

NEW YORK TO ALBANY
One of the most picturesque parts of the itinerary was
the trip over the Hudson River Railroad as far as Albany.
The pilot engine used was the "Constitution" and the
engine pulling the train was the "Union," with George
W. Wrightson as engineer of the latter.

ALBANY TO BUFFALO

The New York Central Railroad was used to convey
the remains from Albany to Buffalo. One of the largest
engines on the road, the "Dean Richmond," pulled the
funeral train.

BUFFALO TO ERIE

The funeral train left Buffalo over the Lake Shore
Railroad, but the Erie and North East Railroad was oper-
ating at this time the different roads between Buffalo
and Erie.

ERIE TO CLEVELAND

The train from Erie to Cleveland over the Cleveland,
Painsville and Ashtabula R.R. used the same personnel as
far as possible that had previously manned the train
carrying Mr. Lincoln East in 1861. The same engine, the
"William Case" was also used, and John Benjamine was
the engineer. The "Idaho" served as the pilot engine with
J. W. McGuire in charge.

CLEVELAND

Martin Fetter who helped to decorate engine "Num-
ber 40" also known as the "Dispatch" claimed it took the
train out of Cleveland but it was probably used as a
switch engine to move the train as the account states:
"The locomotive of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Rail-
road, tastefully decorated, took the train in its reverse
position and drew it to the Euclid Street Station. The
engineer was Bill Simmons.

CLEVELAND TO COLUMBUS

While it is claimed by some authorities that "The
Nashville" took the train from Washington to Spring-
field it did have its share in the task of hauling the
coaches. The engine was built at the Cuyahoga Works
in Cleveland in 1852 and was operated by the Cleveland,
Columbus and Cincinnati R.R. over whose tracks the
funeral train moved. The engineer in charge of "The
Nashville" was George West and it was preceded by
the pilot engine "Louisville" with E. Van Camp at the
throttle.

COLUMBUS TO INDIANAPOLIS

In the comment by Mr. Fisher who doubted if "The
Nashville" ran all the way to Indianapolis this supposi-
tion has been verified in the discovery of a contemporary
news notation which states that the funeral train left
over the Columbus and Indianapolis Central Railroad
with Mr. James Gourley as engineer but the name of the
engine and pilot engine and its operator are not given.
INDIANAPOLIS TO LAFAYETTE

While we are under obligation to a reporter of the
Indianapolis Journal for much information about the
funeral train from the time it left Indianapolis until it
reached Springfield he fails to make known certain facts
we would like to know about the Indianapolis-Lafayette
segment of the trip which was evidently made over the
Lafayette and Indianapolis Railroad.

LAFAYETTE TO MICHIGAN CITY

Our reporter for the Journal states in his dispatch
dated May 1, Lafayette, Ind., 3:35 A.M.: "The steam
engine 'Persian' handsomely decorated now bears us on
under the charge of a cautious and experienced engineer
Mr. A. Rupert. Mr. Rhodes is engineer in charge of the
pilot engine 'Rocket.' The road traveled was the Louis-
ville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad."
MICHIGAN CITY TO CHICAGO

The same reporter in a notation dated May 1, Michigan
City, 8:30 AM. states "The engine 'Ranger' . . . and
the pilot engine 'Frank Valkenberg' are ready for our
accommodation." These engines conveyed the party over
the Michigan Central lines into Chicago.
CHICAGO TO SPRINGFIELD

The depot of the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis Railroad
was profusely decorated and over its line the last journey
of the lamented President was to be taken. Henry Russell,
engineer of the pilot engine "Number 40" was the first
to leave the station followed in ten minutes by engine
"Number 58" with engineer James Colting at the controls.

The Record
1975

Vol. 36

Friends of the Library
Washington State University

Pullman, Washington 99163

1975

the canceled trains and salaries of idled employees, the loss business-
wise was estimated to be at least an additional $20,000. After the war
was ended, the government paid in full for the physical damage.

Morgan did not tarry at Salem because Union forces were known to be
on the way. One contingent, made up of men from Lafayette and nearby
counties, were ordered to move southward over the LNA^C. On reaching
Bloomington the train halted, no one knowing if the track south was still
intact, nor did anyone know the whereabouts of the Confederate force.
The soldiers left the train and scattered over the town. They were told
the engineer would blow the whistle as a signal to bring them back in
time for departure. But the soldiers apparently were not content with
this assurance, and when they were recalled it was discovered that all
coupling pins had been withdrawn and hidden. After these were retrieved,
the train got under way and proceeded slowly, with scouts ahead on hand-
cars. When the train reached Orleans, the citizens spread a generous
feed and the band played on. What then happened is not recorded but it
seems probable that this contingent became a part of the other forces
mustered to pursue Morgan eastward.

Certain it is that the Confederate leader moved on, crossing the
Jeffersonville Railroad at Vienna in Scott County, burning bridges and
indicting much other damage. At Vernon and Dupont in Jennings and Jeff-
erson counties, there was great damage to the Madison § Indianapolis Rail-
road. The Ohio £j Mississippi Railroad suffered extensive damage as the
raiders moved toward Ohio. There at Libson, the war's farthest northern
Confederate penetration, the force was scattered and Morgan was captured
July 26, only to escape November 27, return to the South and continue
his military service before being killed in a gooseberry patch, clothed
in his nightshirt, nigh a year later at the age of thirty-nine on Septem-
ber 4, 1864 at Greenville, Tennessee, the home of Andrew Johnson, soon to
become the seventeenth President of the United States.

Then, almost eight months later to the day, came the surrender at
Appomattox Court House April 9, 1S65 and the horrible war was ended. But
an event that became a great tragedy lurked in the hearts of a band of re-
vengeful evil conspirators. John Wilkes Booth fatally wounded President
Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre April 14, and Lincoln died the next day.

After lying in state in the Capitol, funeral services were conducted
in the White House and Lincoln was then taken home.

Preceded by a pilot locomotive with traveling engineer and fireman
and a caboose with a supporting traveling crew, the Lincoln exequial train
of nine immaculate new cars left Washington at 8:00 A.M., April 21. The
locomotive and all cars were draped in mourning throughout the journey to
Springfield. The train stopped at Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia,
New York, Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

(55)

This 2, 000-mile journey took twelve days. At each of the scheduled stops,
the body lay in state and thousands passed the open casket, paying respect
to their deceased leader. Along the line, solemn and weeping people
were at every town, village, whistle and flag stops, and wooding and water
stations. In the countryside, grieving people stood beside the track bidd-
ing farewell to the train that disappeared in the distance.

The day before arrival at Indianapolis, the body lay in the rotunda
of the Capitol at Columbus. The train departed that place at 8:00 P.M.,
on what was then the Columbus q Indianapolis Central Railway - later the
Pennsylvania. Arrival in Indianapolis was at 7 o'clock the next morn-
ing, Sunday April 30, and the casket was taken reverently to the State
House and there placed on a noble catafalque. Indiana had been Lincoln's
home from the time he was seven until approaching his twenty- first birth-
day. He had always received strong Hoosier political support and when
in the state enroute to or from Washington was given much ovation. Now
the expressed affection and respect was more pronounced than ever. Rain
that fell continuously did not deter a multitude from turning out en
masse. Present was a Kentucky delegation headed by Governor Thomas E.
Bramlette. Shortly before midnight the body was taken to the Union Depot
and entrained for Chicago.

Governor Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton and his suite, and a
group of dignitaries, had met the funeral train at Richmond and remained
aboard as far as Michigan City.

Although this sad trek has been described in detail in many accounts
of Lincolniana, the railroad operational facets have been overlooked or
ignored. In the case of the Monon, extant records document the honored
role of the railroad between Lafayette and Michigan City - another Civil
War chapter in its history.

The funeral train left the Union Depot at Midnight over the Lafayette
§ Indianapolis Railroad, was transferred to the Monon track at Lafayette
Junction, and arrived at Lafayette at 5:45 A.M., May 1. Even at this
early hour a large crowd had gathered at the station and a hundred or so
lined the street down which the track ran. The train moved by slowly,
the whole scene dimly lit by bonfires kindled at intervals. It arrived
at Michigan City at 8:55 A.M., where a brief stop was made with the fun-
eral car spotted under a draped memorial arch ...that had been erected for
the occasion.

The good women of the city served a hot breakfast of corn- fed ham,
bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, gravy, biscuits, and berry pie. There
was milk, coffee, English and sassafras tea. Tables were spread for
four hundred people, including a delegation from Chicago.

(56)

After this traditional Hoosier hospitality, the train proceeded on
its way, reaching Chicago at 11 o'clock over the tracks of the Michigan
Central and Illinois Central railroads from whence, after two days, it
would go to Springfield over the Chicago £ Alton Railroad.

From Lafayette, the train traveled slowly - 25 miles per hour. The
published timetable and special regulations for this carriage were issued
by the Director and Manager of Military Railroads, Brevet Brig. Gen. D.C.
McCallum. The train departed each station ten minutes behind the pilot.
It passed through towns with tolling bell at a speed not exceeding five
miles an hour. Telegraph offices were kept open during the entire passage;
when a station was cleared the operator at once gave notice to the next
station up the line. The pilot was not permitted to pass any station
without first getting information of the funeral train having passed
the last station, coming to a full stop if necessary.

An attended signal was shown at every switch and bridge, and at the
entrance upon every curve. Each attendant personally had to know that
all was safe. The track signal from Lafayette until broad daylight was
a white light and from that time to Michigan City, a draped white flag.
During darkness the pilot carried red markers and a draped American flag
during daylight. Both the pilot and funeral train had absolute right to
the line during this passage; opposing trains were sided.

Eighteen sixty-five was an important year in the life of the LNA^C.
A new era began - an era of successful expansion, development, and refine-
ment that also was at once an era of trial and trouble.

Lincoln funeral train attracted crowds

Even in the middle of the night, mourners gathered with lamps and bonfires

By Bob Kriebel, For the Journal and Courier

A 50-year-old historian from Ohio has written a heck of a book that will
interest many Lafayette-area students of railroads, Abraham Lincoln or the
Civil War. The author is Scott Trostel, and his illustrated volume is The
Lincoln Funeral Train .

"This book," he says, "takes a close-up look at the human side along the
route as well as the route itself, the railroad cars, locomotives, trains
and the tremendous logistics required to make the 1,700-mile journey from
Washington D.C., to Springfield, 111."

The entourage left Washington on April 21 and reached Springfield on May 3.
It went from Indianapolis to Chicago on May 1, 1865, and rolled through
Lafayette about 3:30 a.m.

The Lafayette Courier gave the dead-of -night event but a few short
sentences :

"The funeral train passed through this city on time this morning.
Notwithstanding the positive announcement that it would stop a moment, there
was large crowd at Market space and along Fifth Street.

"Traveling at five miles per hour the train passed through to the tolling of
church bells. [A local military band] played a funeral dirge. ... Men stood
uncovered and in respectful silence. Many were effected to tears."

Logistics

One needs to keep in mind how, in Civil War times, trains were crude and
undependable, lacking constant communication and safety devices. The steam
locomotives used wood for fuel and made frequent water stops. Rails were of
iron and subject to rapid wear.

Several trains made up the Lincoln funeral cortege. At times as many as four
moved in unison on separate legs of the journey. The telegraph was the most
advanced form of communication. The speed of trains averaged 2 mph .

In most instances there were two trains for Lincoln. The first, towed by a
"pilot engine, " essentially ran interference for the actual train bearing
the remains of Lincoln and of his son William or "Willie" (1850-1862) . The
latter's grave in Washington, D.C., had been reopened and the casket placed
on the train so that father and son could be buried together in Springfield.

The funeral train proper consisted of a locomotive and tender followed by
eight to 10 cars, with the specially built 42 -foot car "United States"
always at the end containing a stove, armed guards and the two caskets.

In The Lincoln Funeral Train, Trostel lists about 20 different pilot engines
and another 20 funeral train locomotives having been put to use as the
entourage moved from one railroad company's jurisdiction to the next across
Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, 13 counties in Indiana
and seven in Illinois.

Through Indiana

It's a well planned, well organized book; and with its subject matter
contains a general appeal to anyone living along the route of the funeral
train. It entered Indiana at about 3 a.m. on April 3 and reached
Indianapolis at 7 a.m. Most of that day was devoted to ceremonies, including
placement of the casket for public visitation in the Indiana Statehouse.
Heavy rain forced cancellation of a number of outdoor events .

The pilot engine then left Indianapolis at 11:50 p.m. on April 30. The plan
called for it to reach Augusta at 12:30 a.m. on May 1, Zionsville at 12:47,
Whitestown at 1:07, Lebanon at 1:30, Hazelrigg at 1:55, Thorntown at 2:10,
Colfax at 2:25, Clarks Hill at 2:40, Stockwell at 2:50, Culver's Station at
3, Lafayette at 3:35, Battle Ground at 3:55, Brookston at 4:15, Chalmers at
4:25, Reynolds at 4:45, Bradford (Monon) at 5:08, Francesville at 5:35,
Medaryville at 5:50, San Pierre at 6:15, Wanatah at 7 a.m. and on to Park
Place Station in Chicago at 10:50 a.m. on May 1.

This segment of the trip was complicated because three railroad companies
were involved. Trostel notes:

"Train times were among the first problem to be worked out. In 1865 there
was no such thing as standard time zones . Each railroad selected its own
local time, the real problem being that even though two railroads might
operate into the same town, their published times could vary to 20 minutes
even with trains pulling into adjacent tracks at the same instant. ... To
each railroad fell the duty of decorating their own locomotives and
selecting crewmen."

For the 64 miles between Indianapolis and Lafayette, the Lafayette &
Indianapolis, presided over by Lafayette businessman William F. Reynolds,
chose the locomotive "Boone" and engineer Thomas Collen for the pilot train,
the locomotive "Stockwell" and engineer Charles Lamb for the funeral train.

At Lebanon at 1:30 a.m., according to newspaper accounts, "Both town and
country were gathered to honor the dead. Lamps, torches and bonfires sent
their brilliant light about the assemblage. Drooped flags were dressed in
mourning. A beautiful arch of evergreens and roses was erected under which
the cars passed."

Further up the tracks at Hazelrigg and Thorntown "people were standing at
the depot and along the margins of the track. Bonfires lit the night. ... At
Clarks Hill a crowd assembled at the station, many carrying lanterns"

Bonfires and lamps lit the scene, too, when the train passed through
Stockwell and on to Culver Station and Lafayette. In Lafayette, where
Lincoln's inauguration train had stopped in February 1861, the pilot and
funeral train in 1865 switched to the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago
locomotive "Rocket" and an engineer named Rhodes, and to the engine
"Persian" and engineer A. Rupert.

Trostel wrote that about 300 people awaited the train at Battle Ground and
waved flags. The train rolled by Brookston and Chalmers as dawn began to
break. Farm families from up to 20 miles distant viewed the train at
Reynolds in early daylight.

NEXT: Sesquicentennial opportunities in 2 003.

Kriebel, retired editor of the Journal and Courier, may be contacted at 30

Wildcat Bluffs Road, Lafayette, IN 47905-8449; telephone 589-8922; e-mail
tejas30@aol . com

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